Yarn-reel



' UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

CHARLES s. rosrna, or rawru'o'xu'r, anonn ISLAND.

YARN REEL.

srrioIrIcA'rIoN forming part er Letters Patent are. 376,590, dated j'aiiiia'rjf 17, 1888.. Application tiled May 11, 1857. Serial No. 237,830. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES S. FOSTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pawtucket, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Yarn-Reels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invent-ion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. p

Myinvention relates to yarn-reels; and it consists, essentially, of a center wheel orspider, a. loosely-mounted supplemental wheel having a toothed rim, a series oftoothed arms pivoted to the center wheel and meshing with the toothed wheel, and yarirretaiuing spools secured to the outer or free ends of the pivoted arms, the whole combined and arranged whereby a simultaneous movement of the pivoted arms is effected.

The object of the present invention is to pro duce asuperioryarn-reelofits class, by means of which the yarn or thread may be placed thereon or removed therefrom with greater facility than heretofore.

In my improved reel herewith the circumference thereof may be increased about fifty per cent. over the minimum circumference of the reel, the latter corresponding to the closed position of the arms.

An important advantage possessed by my reel is that in whatever position the pivoted arms or extensions may be adjgustably secured to the center wheel or spider the reel is always practically balanced, thereby maintaining a uniform tension upon the unwinding yarn. By being thus balanced the centrifugal force of the revolving reel is the same throughout its circumference.

In the accompanying sheet ofdrawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the reel complete, showing the arms extended to their limit and corresponding to the maximum diameter, said fig ure also showing (by dotted lines) the arms in the fully-closed or folded position. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the reel. Figs. 3 and lrepresent front and side views, respectively, of one of the radiallymovable pivoted arms, enlarged. Fig. 5 is a front view of a portion of the spider. Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same, showing a manner of mounting it on the spindle or arbor; and Fig. 7 is a reduced front view of a threearm reel provided with my,- improvements. 6'01 A description of the construction of theimr proved yarn-reel, including the manner of its. operation, is as follows:

A, referring to the drawings, designatesztha reel as a whole.

B designates the center portion or-spidem (as drawn, having six arms.) having aiecntenhub, as 1, extending therefrom in, front andl mounted on a spindle, H.

C ind'icatesasix-armed wheel having -itshuha c bored out to freely receive the hub Z of thewheel B. The rim of thewheel Ois providee'tl with gear-teeth t. For the purpose of redue.- ing the weight, the rim thereof is cut away intermediate of thear-ms, thereby forming six toothed sectors,the near or last tooth, t, of each sector-beingpreferably thicker than the other teeth,

0 indicate spool-arms pivoted to the outer ends of the center wheel, B, each arm 0, as. d rawn, being drilled at p to receive a screwthreaded pimp, whicltis screwed into the center wheelies clearly shown. One ofsaid pins, however, as 12?, is preferably adapted to be used as ga clamping-screw to retain the several spoolarms in a fixedposition. The inner end or center portion of each arm 0 is provided with aseries of gear-teeth, 1, adapted to intergear with those of the wheel 0, just described. T reason of this arrangement it is obvious tfliflfifgQ'} if the gear-wheel he turned, say, to the ri fit, the several pivoted arms 0 geared thie ith will be simultaneously turned toward hheleft. (see dotted arrow, Fig. 1) until restrained by the teeth t. The outer end or head: of each 5 arm 0 is elongated axially and made-coneave, as at d, to receive the barrel sofrai wooden spool, the latter being securerlt o. the arm by 7 screws .9. (See Fig. 2-) Tile-construction of i the spool, including its flanged! ends h, is sub-woo: stantially as usual. 7

The manner of frictionallpimaunting the reel is as follows: The outer end portion of the spindle H is reduced in diameter, as at it, the same uniting with the enlarged portion by the cone-shaped follet t", Fig. 6, the opposite end being screw-threaded and provided with a nut, m, screwed thereon, having a conical end, m. The hub of the wheel B is bored out somewhat larger than the spindle h, the bore at each end being cone-shaped to receive the said cones i and m. A nut, a, screwed to the spindle is adapted to serve as a check-nut against the outer face of the cone-nut m. 3y means of this arrangement the reel is not only accurately centered, but by turning the nut m in the proper direction more or less frictional resistance is imparted to the reel, as desired. In the reel, as drawn, the spindle H is adjustably secured in position by a set-screw, e, mounted in the hub of a standard, E, which in turn is secured to a lloor or base, 6.

It is obvious that the reel may be secured to a revolving shaft, although I prefer the arrangement shown as affording better facilities for adjustment and operation.

The operation is as follows: Assuming the reel to be mounted on a spindle or shalt, and that it be required to place a skein of yarn on thespools s, the tluunb-scrcwpfis first loosened and an arm, 0, then turned in the (dotted) arrow direction, which movement likewise simultaneously operates all the other arms, thereby reduei ng the diameter. The skcin may now be readily placed over the flanges h and onto the spools. The arms Gare next simultaneously vibrated in the opposite direction until the desired radial tension is effected, when finally all the arms are secured in position by the one screw p after which the yarn may be reeled off in thcarrow direction toward the right. For certain yarns, however, where the reel revolves rapidly in the opposite direction from that shown by the full-line arrow in Fig. 1, the screw 12* may be dispensed with, the centrifugal force acting to automatically and simultaneously throw out all the arms 0', thereby enlarging the circumference of the reel corresponding to thelength of the several layers or convolutions of the skein and maintaining a substantially uniform tension on the unwinding yarn.

It is obvious that the pivoted spool-arms may be as readily simultaneously vibrated in either direction by simply turning the wheel 0 on its axis a short distance.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. As an improved article of manufacture, a yarn-reel consisting of a series of yarn-carrying toothed arms, a center portion having said arms pivotally mounted and secured thereto, and a loosely-mountedtoothed wheel meshing with the arms and having stops, as t, for limiting the rearward movement of said toothed arms, all combined, arranged, and operating substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

2. A yarn-reel having a center portion adapted to revolve on its axis, a series of toothed arms adapted to carry yarn arranged around said center portion and pivoted there to, a loosely-mounted toothed wheel engaging the several toothed arms, and a stop for limiting the angular movement of said arms and whcel,substantially as hereinbefore described.

3. The combination of the center portion or spider, B, a loosely-mounted toothed wheel, as 0, having a series of stop-teeth, I, a series of toothed yarn-carrying arms, as O, pivotally mounted to the said spider B and meshing with the wheel 0, and means for simultaneously securing the said arms in position after adjustment, the whole constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have ailixcd my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES S. FOSTER. \Vitnesses:

GrmnLns I'IANNIGAN, GEO. H. REMINGTON. 

